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DIY Frames

Hi all, I dont remember if I posted this on to this forum. This is a video of teh Simplicity frames I make for my hives, these can be wired and foundation inbedded or use as foundationless frames which is what I have done. I havent shown all the cutting on table saw with dado blade and cutting to length side bars and drilling the holes for wire. I think you will get the idea of how to make the individual parts. Feel free to comment. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7Yn...e_gdata_player

Re: DIY Frames

Those look good. But because the ends are straight they wouldn't work in the radial position in my Maxant extractor - or at least they would be very difficult to load in to it. Probably other brands as well. Something folks should probably think of before making frames.

Re: DIY Frames

Those look good. But because the ends are straight they wouldn't work in the radial position in my Maxant extractor - or at least they would be very difficult to load in to it. .

David, dansar... I am missing something. Could you elaborate on why they would not load well in an extractor. It looks to me like they are offset for bee space and in my Kelly 9 frame extractor that appears to be all is needed. What am i missing here.

Very nice work, dansar but, I can see one other possible drawback, (which could be easily corrected) and that is, the end bars being straight all the way from top bar to bottom bar. I have never used straight ones, but, convential literature says the bees will propolize straight end bars together and make it very difficult to remove them from an active hive. As I said, I have never tried straight ones so I don't know, just repeating what the literature suggests and asking from someone who has tried them.

I edited my post. David may have been talking about the end bars, I posted thinking he was talking about the top bars sitting in the slots of the radial extractor. David, please set me straight.

Re: DIY Frames

Cleo - when you put frames into the radial position on my Maxant extractor they slide in through guides made out of metal rods - which hold the frame in position at the top as it spins. The slot is just wide enough to clear the narrower bottom portion of the frame end bars. I have some home made frames that are only narrowed for about the bottom 2 inches - on account of I made the cut on my table saw, and that is as high as the blade goes. Anyway, they just barely fit. A picture would save a thousand words. Take my word for it without the "tapered" end bars they would not go.

Re: DIY Frames

David... I understand now. I checked my Kelly 9 frame radial, and it has a u-shaped stainless steel holder at the top, at the middle, and at the bottom. They are all the same width, which is about 1/4 inch wider than the top bar, so, in a Kelly, his frames would still work fine.

Hope dansar will let us know if the bees propolize the end bars together since they are not tapered (or more technically more narrow at the bottom). I have always heard that they will, but don't know.

Re: DIY Frames

That's how I make all my frames, cuts down on machine time drastically. I use 1x for the end bars though and a 1/2" thick bottom bar. They are rock solid. The bees do propolize the end bars together more readily but a hive tool can separate them as easily as conventional frames. The only problem I have ever seen with propolis is when you don't get the end bars butted together tight the bees will goop them together but a quick run of the hive tool down the sides of the end bars fixes that in a hurry. I was told this style of frame was called a 4-H frame.

Re: DIY Frames

I don't have any interest in making my own frames...for various reasons. However, I do make my own boxes. Your idea in the video of rounding the top edges of the boxes to help in getting the hives apart is brilliant.

Re: DIY Frames

Originally Posted by David LaFerney

Those look good. But because the ends are straight they wouldn't work in the radial position in my Maxant extractor - or at least they would be very difficult to load in to it. Probably other brands as well. Something folks should probably think of before making frames.

The ends of the top bar arent an issue for me because I go foundationless, so I cut and strain all my honey and secondly the extractor that I have access to has baskets for the frames to sit in so I can even extract the frames I make for my Warre style hives. if I were to use a extractor similar to yours David I would machine the end bars to fit.

Re: DIY Frames

Originally Posted by Cleo C. Hogan Jr

David... I understand now. I checked my Kelly 9 frame radial, and it has a u-shaped stainless steel holder at the top, at the middle, and at the bottom. They are all the same width, which is about 1/4 inch wider than the top bar, so, in a Kelly, his frames would still work fine.

Hope dansar will let us know if the bees propolize the end bars together since they are not tapered (or more technically more narrow at the bottom). I have always heard that they will, but don't know.

Thanks David.

cchoganjr

Hi Cleo
No they dont stick them together any worse than commercially produced frames (for me anyway) and I run 8 or 9 frames in my honey supers anyway so the taper on the end bars become a bit of a non issue.
These frames are cheap and easy to make (so long as you have the right tools) and are great to make in these financially tight times. I dont spend any house hold income on this hobby, I either get the materials for free or I make and sell hive ware to other bee keepers to finance other purchases

Re: DIY Frames

Originally Posted by dansar

Hi Cleo
No they dont stick them together any worse than commercially produced frames (for me anyway) and I run 8 or 9 frames in my honey supers anyway so the taper on the end bars become a bit of a non issue.
These frames are cheap and easy to make (so long as you have the right tools) and are great to make in these financially tight times. I dont spend any house hold income on this hobby, I either get the materials for free or I make and sell hive ware to other bee keepers to finance other purchases

I have made end bars with the relief cut out with my bench router but it is just another step that doesnt add any measurable improvement for me apart from looking more like a commercial frame.